Benjamin Speed

Benjamin Peter Speed was born in Adelaide, South Australia.{{cite web | title=Famous Film Score Composers from Australia | website=Ranker | date=14 December 2013 | url=https://www.ranker.com/list/famous-film-score-composers-from-australia/reference | access-date=11 February 2025}} He says that he was "named by [his] brother and sister after Beatrix Potter's books The Tale of Benjamin Bunny and The Tale of Peter Rabbit.{{cite web | title=Mister Benjamin Speed | website=ABC | date=11 August 2014 | url=https://www.abc.net.au/triplejunearthed/artist/mister-benjamin-speed/ | access-date=11 December 2023}}

His parents were separated when he was a child. Living with his mother, he grew up without television, meat, or junk food. He spent every second weekend at his father's house,{{cite web | title=Artists Profiles: Benjamin Speed | website=Carclew (youth arts centre) | url=http://www.carclew.on.net/carclew/apps/profiles/artist_profile.php?PBID=15 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20050628184240/http://www.carclew.on.net/carclew/apps/profiles/artist_profile.php?PBID=15 | archive-date=28 June 2005 | url-status=dead | access-date=12 February 2025}} and he enjoyed listening to his father's music, which included Michael Jackson's Thriller and Dire Straits' Brothers in Arms. He learnt to play classical guitar at school, playing in the school orchestra and then the high school band, which played grunge music, including covers of Nirvana songs, as well as other rock classics. Late in high school he started making electronic music, inspired by crossover hip hop bands, such as Rage Against the Machine, Beastie Boys, and later DJ Shadow.

Speed attended university to study music.{{cite interview| first= Benjamin| last=Speed | title=So You Want To Be A Composer? Meet Benjamin Speed | website=The Void with Christina | date=17 January 2016 | url=https://thevoid333.com/2016/01/17/so-you-want-to-compose-music-for-the-movies-meet-benjamin-speed/ | access-date=11 December 2023}} He graduated with a music technology honours degree from the Elder Conservatorium (part of the University of Adelaide) in 2004. He moved to Sydney in 2006, where he attended the Australian Film, Television and Radio School (AFTRS), graduating with a Graduate Diploma: Film and Television – Screen Composition in 2008.{{cite web | title=AFTRS Alum Alies Sluiter's 'Ayaan' Sweeps the South Australian Screen Awards | website=Australian Film, Television and Radio School | date=12 January 2021 | url=https://www.aftrs.edu.au/news/2021/aftrs-alum-alies-sluiters-ayaan-sweeps-the-south-australian-screen-awards/ | access-date=12 February 2025| quote=Also recognised at this year’s awards was alum Benjamin Speed (Graduate Diploma: Film and Television – Screen Composition, 2008), who together with Leigh Marsh received the award for Best Music Composition for their work on Zane Roach’s 37 Things.}}{{cite web| url=https://www.abc.net.au/tv/stuntlove/files/stunt-love-press-kit.pdf| title=Stunt Love [Press kit]| publisher= Closer Productions| date=2011| archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210125185236/http://www.abc.net.au/tv/stuntlove/files/stunt-love-press-kit.pdf| archive-date= 25 Jan 2021| url-status=live}}

{{split| The New Pollutants|date=February 2025}}

Speed formed The New Pollutants in 2001 with Australian musician Tyson Hopprich (DJ Tr!p).{{Cite web |title=Metropolis Rescore, by The New Pollutants |url=https://thenewpollutants.bandcamp.com/album/metropolis-rescore |access-date=2023-02-07 |website=The New Pollutants |language=en}}{{cite web | title=Metropolis with live score by The New Pollutants at Fed Square | website=ACMI | date=7 March 2021 | url=https://www.acmi.net.au/whats-on/not-so-silent-outdoor-cinema/metropolis-fritz-lang-live-score-new-pollutants-fed-square/ | access-date=10 February 2025|quote=Join us outside on Fed Square for a free sunset screening of Fritz Lang's Metropolis with a live score by The New Pollutants... This influential sci-fi classic features the acclaimed live re-score by The New Pollutants.}}{{cite web | title=Noise Festival on the abc | website= Australian Broadcasting Commission | date=28 December 2002 | url=http://abc.net.au:80/noise/profiles/s388512.htm | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20030310192219/http://abc.net.au:80/noise/profiles/s388512.htm | archive-date=10 March 2003 | url-status=dead | access-date=10 February 2025}} "DJ Trip", according to Hopprich, "arrived in about year 10". By 2002 he had released several tracks, including "Vinyl Perplexa", "Recyclise", "Recyclise Reinterpreted", and an EP, Rock the beat (EP). In 2002 he was DJ'ing on Wednesday and Thursday nights at the Crown & Anchor Hotel.{{cite interview | title= The New Pollutants: Interview with DJ Tr!p and Mr Speed by Paul Armour| interviewer-first= Paul | interviewer-last= Armour| first1= Tyson |last1= Hopprich| first2= Benjamin| last2=Speed| url=https://www.cyclicdefrost.com/pdfs-dl/cyclic_issue_2.pdf | access-date=11 February 2025| publisher=Cyclic Defrost| issue =2| date=2002}}

Their sound traversed through a number of different genres, including lo-fi, trip hop, electro, Commodore 64 music, 1950s and 1960s pop, comedy, alternative hip hop, and electronica.{{Cite web |url=http://2005.adelaidefilmfestival.org/films/metropolis.html |title=Metropolis @ Adelaide Film Festival |access-date=10 January 2007 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20060821064748/http://2005.adelaidefilmfestival.org/films/metropolis.html |archive-date=21 August 2006 |url-status=dead }} Rachel Paterson wrote in RealTime Arts in 2003: "The New Pollutants are intellectual hip-hop with an experimental edge. These guys have their own sound, it's global and it's local and it has evolved from who these artists are... The live experience integrates visual experiments with original sound and a theatrical, interactive edge".{{cite journal| journal=RealTime Arts | issue =57 |title=The New Pollutants |date=Oct–Nov 2003 |page= 33 | url=https://www.realtimearts.net/article/issue57/7240 | access-date=12 February 2025}}

The New Pollutants released Hygene Atoms in 2002. The duo were compared to Buck 65, Tricky, and DJ Shadow after the release of Hygene Atoms.

In July 2003 the New Pollutants released the 7" single "Sid-Hop".{{cite web| url=http://www.benjaminspeed.com/index| archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160306112521/http://www.benjaminspeed.com/index| title= Discography: The New Pollutants| archive-date=6 March 2016| website= Benjamin Speed}}

Using tracks recorded between 2002 and 2004, in July 2004 they released Urban Professional Nightmares as a Twelve-inch single. They released the EP at the Minke Bar in Adelaide. It included four tracks from Hygene atoms on one side, and five new tracks on the other (which were released as a digital download in April 2004).{{cite web| url=https://misterspeed.bandcamp.com/album/urban-professional-nightmares| title=Urban Professional Nightmares |date= 1 April 2004| website= Bandcamp}} The music was created using lo-fi technology, including a Commodore 64 SID chip.

In 2005 The New Pollutants composed and produced Metropolis Rescore, a new soundtrack to Fritz Lang's famous silent film Metropolis, which they premiered live at the 2005 Adelaide Film Festival{{Cite web |title=AFF Metropolis Rescore |url=http://2005.adelaidefilmfestival.org/films/metropolis.html |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20060821064748/http://2005.adelaidefilmfestival.org/films/metropolis.html |archive-date=21 August 2006 |access-date=10 January 2007}} and other music and film festivals,{{Cite web |date=2007-09-05 |title=metropolis |url=http://www.acmi.net.au/372BE465554C44DC942587E6EF47D3F4.aspx |access-date=2023-02-08 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070905082549/http://www.acmi.net.au/372BE465554C44DC942587E6EF47D3F4.aspx |archive-date=5 September 2007 }}{{Cite web |date=2007-09-09 |title=Revelation Film Festival 2007 : Metropolis |url=https://www.revelationfilmfest.org/index.cfm?objectid=27501665-65BF-EBC1-2C6F89F29C24D6CF&navid=D9761779-C09F-1F3C-C809B0FDEF313ED9 |access-date=2023-02-08 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070909183143/https://www.revelationfilmfest.org/index.cfm?objectid=27501665-65BF-EBC1-2C6F89F29C24D6CF&navid=D9761779-C09F-1F3C-C809B0FDEF313ED9 |archive-date=9 September 2007 }} including the 2006 Edinburgh International Film Festival. ACMI described the soundtrack as "an infectious and unique approach ranging from Germanic trip hop and lo-fi electronica to unforgettable classical and breathtaking cinematica".{{Cite web |title=Metropolis Rescore @ ACMI |url=http://www.acmi.net.au/372BE465554C44DC942587E6EF47D3F4.aspx |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070905082549/http://www.acmi.net.au/372BE465554C44DC942587E6EF47D3F4.aspx |archive-date=5 September 2007 |access-date=13 January 2008}}

In 2011, a newly updated score was composed to the 2010 restoration version, which has an extra 30 minutes of footage originally thought lost.{{Cite web |title=Metropolis Rescore @ 2011 AFF |url=http://tix.adelaidefilmfestival.org/session3.asp?sn=Metropolis%2C+Live+Score+by+the+New+Pollutants |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110724223947/http://tix.adelaidefilmfestival.org/session3.asp?sn=Metropolis,+Live+Score+by+the+New+Pollutants |archive-date=24 July 2011 |access-date=20 February 2011}}

On 7 March 2021, the film was screened with The New Pollutants performing their re-score live at Federation Square in Melbourne,{{cite web | title=Metropolis with live score by The New Pollutants at Fed Square | website=ACMI | date=7 March 2021 | url=https://www.acmi.net.au/whats-on/not-so-silent-outdoor-cinema/metropolis-fritz-lang-live-score-new-pollutants-fed-square/ | access-date=10 February 2025|quote=Join us outside on Fed Square for a free sunset screening of Fritz Lang's Metropolis with a live score by The New Pollutants... This influential sci-fi classic features the acclaimed live re-score by The New Pollutants... Musical duo Benjamin Speed and Tyson Hopprich are accompanied by vocalist Astrid Pill and cellist Zoe Barry to present their much-lauded score blending Germanic trip hop, lo-fi electronica and classical music. }}{{cite web | author=The New Pollutants | title=Tonight in Melbourne! | website=Facebook| date= 7 March 2021 | url=https://www.facebook.com/thenewpollutants/posts/pfbid02jK8f5PwPWF4CuAXfvodkaVj3c5EDYANJDzLau4KAAPL89PQv71aaTTfMoykRXZRyl | access-date=11 February 2025}} presented by Insite Arts.{{cite web | title=Silent Cinema with Live Scores | website=Insite Arts | url=https://www.insitearts.com.au/projects/silent-cinema | access-date=11 February 2025}}

In September 2001, The New Pollutants played Electrofringe: Independent Electronic Labels Conference 2001 in Newcastle, playing alongside Anticon, Mad Professor, and others. In the following month, they supported Anticon on part of their Australian tour.

The New Pollutants' favourite live venues in 2002 were Mojo West, Skylab at Minke, the Rhino Room, and the Crown and Sceptre Hotel in Adelaide city centre. In 2003, they played at the University of Adelaide O'Ball.

The New Pollutants were headliners of the 2004 Adelaide Fringe Festival opening concert. They also played at Australian music festivals, including in the Boiler Room at Big Day Out in 2003, along with Kraftwerk and others and the Falls Festival (2004 New Year's Eve). Overseas they played at the TINA Festival (2001 and 2002); Anticon, and Scalene (2002).

They played a show called 2002AD at the 2002 Adelaide Fringe. Also in 2002, the band played as support act for DJ Dexter (The Avalanches), and in 2003, played in Sydney at The Herd's album launch as well as supporting UK act The Herbaliser. They played support for Buck 65 in 2004, and for Japanese DJ DJ Krush, Canadian DJ Kid Koala, Australian hip hop group Combat Wombat, and American rapper Kool Keith in 2005. {{Cite web |url=http://www.3reasons.com.au/public/metropolis/tnp_bio/The%20New%20Pollutants%20Bio%20010905.pdf |title=The New Pollutants Biography 2005|access-date=13 January 2008 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20081003044416/http://www.3reasons.com.au/public/metropolis/tnp_bio/The%20New%20Pollutants%20Bio%20010905.pdf |archive-date=3 October 2008 |url-status=dead }}

Sydney's 3D World magazine named their single "CD release of the week" for September 2002. Their tracks were included in albums on labels such as Surgery Records, ABC, LaTrobe, and Semikazi.

They won the DB Magazine Reader Award for Most Popular Dance Act in 2003, and DJ Tr!p won Most Popular DJ in 2003 and 2004.

In 2004, The New Pollutants won the Most Popular Electronic / Dance Act award at the South Australian Music Industry Awards (SAMI or SAMIA).{{cite web | last=Sadler | first=Denham | title=The Beards, Lady Strangelove Win At New South Australian Music Awards | website=Tone Deaf | date=2 November 2012 | url=https://tonedeaf.thebrag.com/fowlers-live-music-awards-winners-announced/ | access-date=11 February 2025|quote=The awards follow in the footsteps of the South Australian Music Industry Awards (SAMIA) which concluded seven years ago.}}

They were a Top 15 finalist in the Ninja Tune/Big Dada/UKHH.com remix competition, with more than 300 entries from around the world.

They gained national airplay on JJJ as well as local stations 2SER (Sydney), 4ZZZ (Brisbane), 3RRR (Melbourne), Three D Radio (Adelaide), RTR (Perth). They earned number 1 spot on Three D's "Top 20 + 1" in June 2003, for "Sid-Hop".

The New Pollutants did not release any more music or perform live beyond their re-score of Metropolis, but did perform together live once more, at an open-air screening of the film in March 2021 in Melbourne,

In 2016 Speed said that although touring and performing live was a lot of fun, but he could not do it for the rest of his life as there was so much physical effort involved, and he would be exhausted and often injured after each performance. The Metropolis re-score was Speed's first attempt at composing music rather than songwriting.

His first name as an artist was Mr Tappin' Fresh (the Hip Hop Antihero), and under this name he released an EP, Music for Mass Consumption. He also used the name The Other Half.

After adopting the stage name of Mr Speed (the Veritable Half-Breed), he released an album called Mr Speed Presents: The Other Half Of Humanity on 1 October 2001.{{cite web | title=The Other Half Of Humanity, by Mister Speed | website=Mister Benjamin Speed | url=https://misterspeed.bandcamp.com/album/the-other-half-of-humanity | access-date=11 February 2025}}{{cite web | title=Mr. Speed: Bio| first=Jody |last=Macgregor | website=AllMusic | url=https://www.allmusic.com/artist/mr-speed-mn0002081609#biography | access-date=11 February 2025}}

During his time as part of The New Pollutants, Speed also released some songs on his Myspace page, described as following "a skewed and slightly surreal geeky hip-hop aesthetic". These songs were noticed by Australian independent record label Creative Vibes, leading to a record deal for a solo album. In 2007, Speed released his debut solo album The Dreamer, as Mr Speed, which was critically acclaimed. The Sydney Morning Herald described it thus:"The opening sounds like a scene from The Godfather; it closes with a hybrid of hip-hop rock. In between there are snippets of 1950s French soundtracks, moody trip-hop and multiple samples. The vocals sway between Beck and Buck 65, moving from the philosophy of art to observations of love".{{cite web | last=Sasson | first=Chloe | title=The Dreamer | website=The Sydney Morning Herald | date=8 March 2007 | url=https://www.smh.com.au/entertainment/music/the-dreamer-20070309-gdpmm3.html | access-date=11 December 2023}} Chris Downton noted in Cyclic Defrost: The Dreamer appears primed to take his compositions and productions to a new audience considerably broader than those previously familiar with his work as one half of The New Pollutants. Particular apparent upon even an initial listen is the diversity of musical touchstones and influences that have gone into its creation, with everything from Central European folk instrumentation ("You Should Be Dancing") to 1950s-styled rock n' roll ("Ready For Action") / skiffle and jazz-tinged dub ("Can't Get Home") rearing its head over the album's fourteen track running length". The style is more eclectic than Speed's previous work with The New Pollutants, and Speed described the album as "1950s laptop hip-pop". He also said that he had "wanted to emphasise the idea of 'oneness' and I particularly wanted to be both musically and lyrically more positive" [than in The New Pollutants' music].

In 2014, as Mister Benjamin Speed, three tracks were featured on Triple J Unearthed: "Hello goodbye"; "Shhh... You had me at death"; and "Ballad of the last used man". They wrote that he sounds like American producer and musician Meco.

Speed's first film score was written and performed as part of The New Pollutants, the March 2005 Metropolis Rescore for the Adelaide Film Festival. Also in 2005, Speed began composing other film scores and collaborated with The People's Republic of Animation. His first screen score was for the comedy TV series Errorism: A Comedy of Terrors (2005).{{imdb title|3283732|Errorism: A Comedy of Terrors}}

Also for The People's Republic of Animation, he wrote the score for the animated short film Carnivore Reflux (2006).[http://2006.stkildafilmfestival.com.au/homepage 2006 St Kilda Film Festival Winners] {{webarchive |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070703225447/http://2006.stkildafilmfestival.com.au/homepage |date=3 July 2007 }}

In 2008, Speed composed the score for the feature documentary film A Northern Town, which won an AFI Award.

In 2009, he composed the music for The Cat Piano, narrated by Nick Cave, which was shortlisted for the 2010 Academy Awards{{Cite web |last=pssadm |date=2017-03-23 |title=Nick Cave Narrates Oscar-Nominated "The Cat Piano" In 2010 |url=https://www.thatericalper.com/2017/03/23/nick-cave-narrates-oscar-nominated-the-cat-piano-in-2010/ |access-date=2023-02-08 |website=That Eric Alper |language=en-US}}[http://catpianofilm.com/ The Cat Piano AFF premiere] and won numerous other awards. In the same year, he composed the score for the short film Street Angel, based on the comic of the same name.{{cite web | title=Street Angel trailer | website=IF Magazine | date=25 March 2009 | url=https://if.com.au/street-angel-trailer/ | access-date=11 February 2025}}

In 2010 he won an APRA/AGSC Award for his work on the series Itty Bitty Ditties.[http://www.apra-amcos.com.au/apraawards/screenawards/winners.aspx 2010 APRA Screen Music Awards] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100525120316/http://www.apra-amcos.com.au/apraawards/screenawards/winners.aspx |date=25 May 2010 }}

Speed has also worked with Closer Productions on their films and television series. In 2013 he composed the music for Sundance and Berlin Film Festival award-winning film 52 Tuesdays directed by Sophie Hyde,{{Citation |title=52 Tuesdays (2013) |website=IMDb |url=https://www.imdb.com/title/tt3100636/awards/ |language=en |access-date=2023-02-08}} In 2016 he said that had been his best "pinch yourself" moment so far. He also composed the music for Closer's TV series The Hunting, and Aftertaste, for which he was nominated for best score at the 12th AACTA Awards.{{Cite web |title=AACTA Announces Nominees for 2022 Technical Craft Award Categories |url=https://www.aacta.org/our-news/media-room/aacta-announces-nominees-for-2022-technical-craft-award-categories/ |access-date=2023-02-08 |website= AACTA |language=en-AU}}

Speed composed for the feature documentaries The Snowman in 2010, which won the Australian Documentary Prize{{Cite web |url=http://sff.org.au/cms/default.asp?contentID=226 |title=Australian Documentary Prize Winner 2010 |access-date=20 February 2011 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110222084832/http://sff.org.au/cms/default.asp?contentID=226 |archive-date=22 February 2011 |url-status=dead }} and was nominated for an AFI Award.{{cite web |title=Animal Kingdom leads menagerie of AFI nominations |date=2010-10-27 |website=The Age |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160406235156/https://www.theage.com.au/entertainment/movies/animal-kingdom-leads-menagerie-of-afi-nominations-20101027-173cr.html |archive-date=2016-04-06 |url-status=live |url=http://www.theage.com.au/entertainment/movies/animal-kingdom-leads-menagerie-of-afi-nominations-20101027-173cr.html}} and Embrace (2016).{{Citation |title=Embrace (2016) |url=https://www.filmaffinity.com/us/film233518.html |language=en |access-date=2023-02-09}}

In 2019, he worked with Leigh Marsh to compose the film score for Zane Roach's short film 37 Things (released 2020).{{cite web | title=37 Things (2020) | website=IMDb | url=https://www.imdb.com/title/tt9735340/fullcredits/?ref_=tt_ov_st#cast | access-date=12 February 2025}}{{cite web | title='Ayaan', '37 Things', 'Ice Ball' win South Australian Screen Awards | website=IF Magazine | date=10 December 2020 | url=https://if.com.au/ayaan-37-things-ice-ball-win-south-australian-screen-awards/ | access-date=12 February 2025}}

In 2022, Speed composed and played "Monos Lithos" as the film score for the scifi thriller from Monolith, which one reviewer called "pitch perfect" for the film,{{cite web | last=Hurtado | first=Josh | title=SXSW 2023 Review: MONOLITH, Single Setting Sci-Fi Delivers Creeping Dread | website=ScreenAnarchy | date=16 March 2023 | url=https://screenanarchy.com/2023/03/sxsw-2023-review-monolith.html | access-date=11 Feb 2025}} and was praised by several others.{{cite web | title=Monolith (2023) ACMI + MIFF Encore 20 Oct 2023 | website=ACMI | date=20 October 2023 | url=https://www.acmi.net.au/whats-on/acmi-miff-encore-2023/monolith/ | access-date=11 February 2025}}{{cite web | last=Nicholson | first=Amy | title='Monolith' Review: Gloomy Australian Podcast Thriller Muffles Its Message | website=Variety | date=17 March 2023 | url=https://variety.com/2023/film/reviews/monolith-review-1235557435/ | access-date=11 February 2025}} In 2023, Speed composed the score for the film The Portable Door starring Christoph Waltz and Sam Neill. It won Feature Film Score of the Year at the 2023 Screen Music Awards,{{cite web | title=2023 Screen Music Awards winners announced | website=APRA AMCOS | date=9 November 2023 | url=https://www.apraamcos.com.au/about-us/news-and-events/2023-screen-music-award-winners | access-date=11 December 2023}} in which his "Monos Lithos" from Monolith was also nominated, for Best Original Song Composed for the Screen.{{cite web | title=2023 Screen Music Awards nominees announced | website=FilmInk | date=4 October 2023 | url=https://www.filmink.com.au/public-notice/2023-screen-music-awards-nominees-announced/ | access-date=11 December 2023}}{{cite web | last=Knox | first=David | title=Screen Music Awards 2023: winners | website=TV Tonight | date=10 November 2023 | url=https://tvtonight.com.au/2023/11/screen-music-awards-2023-winners.html | access-date=11 December 2023}}

He also composed the scores for Miss Nikki and the Tiger Girls (2012); In My Blood It Runs (2019);{{cite web | title=Benjamin Speed | website=MUBI | url=https://mubi.com/en/cast/benjamin-speed | access-date=12 February 2025}} A Game of Three Halves (2020); This Is Port Adelaide (2021); Good Luck to You, Leo Grande (2022); Embrace Kids (2022); The Defenders (2023);{{cite web | title=Benjamin Speed composer | website=Soundtrack Tracklist | date=6 April 2023 | url=https://soundtracktracklist.com/artist/benjamin-speed/ | access-date=11 December 2023}} and Make It Look Real (2024).

Speed said in 2014 that his dreams had often inspired his music as well as guiding his life choices. He said that he mainly composed scores, songs, and sounds to accompany visual media, but thinks of it "as making music for inspiration".

While living in Adelaide, Speed was working as a music teacher, for which he won a South Australian Award for Excellence in Arts Education.{{cite interview | title= Mister Speed interview by Chris Downton| interviewer-first= Chris | interviewer-last= Downton| first= Benjamin| last=Speed| url=https://www.cyclicdefrost.com/pdfs-dl/cyclic_issue_2.pdf | publisher=Cyclic Defrost| issue =16| date=6 March 2007| archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20071214110717/http://www.cyclicdefrost.com/blog/?p=1002| archive-date=14 Dec 2007}}

In Sydney, he taught film composition at AFTRS.

Speed married Spanish film producer Blanca Lista in 2012. They met in 2011 when Speed was living in Sydney but on holiday in Los Angeles. She visited Sydney in 2012, and a few days later he flew to LA. They were married a week later by an Elvis impersonator in Las Vegas, with Speed returning soon afterwards for work in Sydney. Speed was granted visa to live in the US in August 2014. {{as of|March 2021}} they were living in LA with their son, with Speed flying back to Australia regularly for work.{{cite web | last=Cernik | first=Lizzie | title=How we met: 'My sister and my dad were freaked out when I said I was getting married' | website= The Guardian | date=22 March 2021 | url=https://www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle/2021/mar/22/how-we-met-my-sister-and-my-dad-were-freaked-out-when-i-said-i-was-getting-married | access-date=11 December 2023}}

The APRA Music Awards are sets of annual awards to celebrate excellence in contemporary music, which honour the skills of member composers, songwriters and publishers who have achieved outstanding success in sales and airplay performance. They are presented by APRA AMCOS (Australasian Performing Right Association and Australasian Mechanical Copyright Owners Society), which commenced in 1982.{{cite web|title=History |url=http://www.apra-amcos.com.au/APRAAwards/MusicAwards/History.aspx |publisher= Australasian Performing Right Association (APRA) | Australasian Mechanical Copyright Owners Society (AMCOS) |access-date=9 October 2013 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100920230857/http://www.apra-amcos.com.au/APRAAwards/MusicAwards/History.aspx |archive-date=20 September 2010 }} The related annual Screen Music Awards were first presented in 2002 by APRA AMCOS and the Australian Guild of Screen Composers (AGSC).{{cite web|website=APRA AMCOS|url=http://apraamcos.com.au/awards/2019-awards/screen-music-awards/categories/|title=Categories|access-date=28 August 2019}}

{{Awards table}}

! {{Abbr|Ref.|Reference}}

|-

| 2009

| The Cat Piano (Benjamin Speed)

| Best Music for a Short Film

| {{nom}}

| {{cite web|url=http://www.apra-amcos.com.au/APRAAwards/ScreenAwards/Winners.aspx |title=Winners – Screen Music Awards |publisher=Australasian Performing Right Association (APRA) |accessdate=25 April 2010 |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20100325122011/http://www.apra-amcos.com.au/apraawards/screenawards/winners.aspx |archivedate=25 March 2010 |url-status=dead }}
{{cite web|url=http://www.apra-amcos.com.au/APRAAwards/ScreenAwards/Nominations.aspx |title=Nominations – Screen Music Awards |publisher=Australasian Performing Right Association (APRA) |accessdate=25 April 2010 |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20100325122006/http://www.apra-amcos.com.au/apraawards/screenawards/nominations.aspx |archivedate=25 March 2010 |url-status=dead }}

|-

| rowspan="2"| 2010

| Itty Bitty Ditties (Thomas Bettany, Speed)

| Best Music for Children's Television

| {{won}}

|rowspan="2"| {{Cite web | url = http://www.apra-amcos.com.au/APRAAwards/ScreenAwards/History/2010Winners.aspx | title = 2010 Winners - Screen Music Awards | publisher = Australasian Performing Right Association (APRA) | accessdate = 18 November 2010 }}
{{Cite web | url = http://www.apra-amcos.com.au/APRAAwards/ScreenAwards/History/2010Nominees.aspx | title = 2010 Nominations - Screen Music Awards | publisher = Australasian Performing Right Association (APRA) | accessdate = 18 November 2010 }}

|-

| The Snowman (Speed)

| Best Music for a Documentary

| {{nom}}

|-

| 2014

| Time Tremors – Series 1

| Best Music for Children's Television

| {{nom}}

| {{cite web | url = http://apraamcos.com.au/awards/2014-awards/screen-music-awards/ | title = Screen Music Awards | publisher = Australasian Performing Right Association (APRA) | Australasian Mechanical Copyright Owners Society (AMCOS) | Australian Guild of Screen Composers (AGSC) | year = 2014 | accessdate = 14 January 2016 }}
{{cite web | url = http://apraamcos.com.au/awards/2014-awards/screen-music-awards/best-music-for-childrens-television/ | title = Best Music for Children's Television | publisher = Australasian Performing Right Association (APRA) | Australasian Mechanical Copyright Owners Society (AMCOS) | Australian Guild of Screen Composers (AGSC) | year = 2014 | accessdate = 2 February 2016 }}

|-

| rowspan="2"| 2023

| The Portable Door (Speed)

| Feature Film Score of the Year

| {{won}}

| rowspan="2"| {{cite web |url=https://www.apraamcos.com.au/about-us/news-and-events/2023-screen-music-awards-nominees-revealed |title=2023 Screen Music Awards Nominees Revealed |publisher=APRA AMCOS. AGSC |date=5 October 2023 |access-date=17 November 2023 }}
{{cite web |url=https://www.apraamcos.com.au/about-us/news-and-events/2023-screen-music-award-winners |title=2023 Screen Music Awards Winners Announced |publisher=APRA AMCOS. AGSC |date=9 November 2023 |access-date=17 November 2023 }}

|-

| "Monos Lithos" from Monolith

| Best Original Song Composed for the Screen

| {{nom}}

|-

|}

• ?: South Australian Award for Excellence in Arts Education
• 2006: Best Original Score, St Kilda Film Festival, for Carnivore Reflux
• 2020: Co-winner, with Leigh Marsh, Best Music Composition at the South Australian Screen Awards, for 37 Things

• List of Australian composers
• List of people from Adelaide

{{Reflist}}

• {{official website|http://www.benjaminspeed.com/}}
• {{IMDb name|2307111}}
• [https://web.archive.org/web/20071030132926/http://www.cyclicdefrost.com/blog/?p=978 Mister Speed - The Dreamer (Creative Vibes)] (review)

{{Authority control}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Speed, Benjamin}}

Category:APRA Award winners

Category:Australian film score composers

Category:Australian Film Television and Radio School alumni

Category:Australian male film score composers

Category:Living people

Category:Musicians from South Australia

Category:Musicians from Adelaide

Category:Year of birth missing (living people)